Speaking-tube



(No Model.)

E. BECKER.

SPEAKING TUBE. No. 356,091. Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS BECKER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPEAKING-TUBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,091, dated January 18, 1887.

Application filed September 10, 1886. Serial No.23,263. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: y

Beit known that I, ELIAS BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpeakingTubes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference bein g'had to the accompanying draw ings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in speaking-tubes, the object being to provide a means whereby conversation may be held with any number ot' separate rooms through but one main tube with several branches; and with this end in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accon'ipanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of my improved speakingtubes, constructed in accordance with my invention, partly shown insection to show the inner working parts. Fig. 2 isa plan view of ratchet-wheel and pawl usedy for stopping the tubes in the exact position required. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. n Fig. 4 is a plan view of the perforated disk which counects the several brauch tubes leading to the different rooms on the one door. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the plate over the chamber, showing the position of the branch of the main tube when at rest.

To put my invention into practice and give the same bodily form, I erect a vertical tube, a, from the grounddoor, having an ordinary speaking-lube mouth-piece, b, attached to the lower end.1 Attached to this tube a, a short distance above the floor of the second story of the building, is a funnel-shaped airtight chamber, c, over which is rigidly secured a plate, d, having a number of circular openings, e', through the same. Secured in these openings e are a number of branch tubes, f, each leading to separate rooms on the same floor. Attached to the main tube ce is a short branch tube, g, having a rubber bearing, h, at the top or place of connection with the perforated 5o plate d. A small spiral spring, i, placed below this rubber ring h, serves to press the ber c, having a suitable number of branch n tubes, f, connecting the several rooms on that floor. This arrangement I continue until the top floor, together with all the rooms of the building, is connected to the main tube a.

Below the first funnel-shaped chambenc, I place a ratchet-wheel, j, and pawl la. This ratchet j, I construct with the same number of teeth Z as t-he building in which the apparatus is placed has rooms. vOn the top of this wheel j, and integral therewith, is a drum, m, of less diameter than that of the ratchet j. A stop or starting projection, n, is also attached f y to this elevated drum m. At the front of this projection a is attached an inclined piece, 0, which, when the ratchet has made a single revolution, lifts the pawl k out of the tooth, and pressed by a spring, p, against the drum m, which offers no resistance, and allows the ratchet j to revolve by weight or power back to its original position, and stopped by the projection n. The pawl 7c now falls a short distance, and is ready to again engage with the ratchetj. Below this ratchet-wheel j, I place a small Weighted drum, q, having a cord, r, wound about the same, to one end of ywhich I secure an indicator, s, and handle t. To the other end of this cord r,Iattach a heavy weight, u, to reverse the tube a. To each of the chambers c, I attach a small tube, o, leading to a pair of stationary bellows, having a cord, z, attached to the handle, and carried to the rst door, or to any part ofthe building, and provided with a handle, z.

At each of the different stories of thebuilding I attach to the main tube a small rubber tube, y, having a mouth-piece, b, secured to one end. With this arrangement a. person on either of the upper iloors of the building may call the ohce below, or talk to any room in the building. f

In operation the office or room connected directly with the main tube a may at any time call each or any room in the building and hold private conversation with the party at thetnbe. Should the operator below want room No. 6, the indicator s is drawn down to that number, which operation revolves the drum g, the

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f of room No. 6.

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main tube a, and ratchet j, the pawl k entering the sixth notch of the Wheel j. This reyolution brings the branch tube g in the chamber c immediately below the tube or connecting-pipe Vhen the conversation is i'inished, the operator draws the indicator s down its full extent, which brings the pawl 7; a short distance beyond the twelfth notch, Z, of the wheel fj and raises the pawl 7c, at which time the ratchet revolves back to its original position.

In case of a iire in the building, the cord c, attached to thebcllows w, is drawn down, which lls all the chambers c and branch tubesfwith sufficient air to sound every mouth-piece I) in the building provided with a whistle.

By placing a pulley or drum, q, and indicater s on each of the different i'loors ot' the building, communication may be held with each and every room separately, in the same manner as before described.

At Fig. 5 on the drawings I have shown the position of the branch of the main ktube a when the same is at rest. Above the mouth of the branch g is a cavity, x, which allows the sound or air to enter the same when the main tube a is at rest.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, in a speaking apparatus, with a main' rotatable tube carrying branch pipes, of pipes leading to certain predetermined points and adapted to communicate with the said branch and main pipes when the said main pipe has been rotated, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a speaking apparatus, of a main rotatable tube, air-tight compartments arranged on the said tube and having branch tubes therein, and branch pipes leading to certain points and adapted to communicate with the said tubes in the compartments, substantially as specified.

3. Aspeaking apparatushaving a main tube carrying a drum and a ratchet, as described, in combination with branch pipes leading to certain points and adapted to form communication with the main tube when the latter has been rotated,or partially rotated, substantially as speciiied.

4. The main rotatable speaking-tube carrying a ratchet, in combination with an indicator and a series of branch pipes, as described, whereby communication may be formed between the main pipe and an)7 desired branch ofthe series, as set forth.

5. The combination, in a speaking apparatus, with the main rotatable pipe, ofthe airtight chambers secured thereon, and thepipes g, arranged therein and communicating with the said main pipe, and the branch pipes leading to various compartments in a building and adapted to communicate with the pipes in the said compartments when the main pipe has been rotated, substantially as specified.

6. ln a speaking apparatus, a main rotatable pipe, in combination with the branch pipes adapted to communicate therewith, as described, aud an auxiliary tube or mouth-piece connected with the main tube, substantially as spccited.

7. rlhe combination, in a speaking apparatus, with the main tube and brauch tubes, as described, of a supplementary tube connected with the main tube, and an air-forcing device connected with the supplementary tube, substantially as specitied.

, 8. The combination, in a speaking apparatus, with the main rotatable tube, of the closed chambers surroumling the same at points, as described, and having the cover d,

the disk h, and ilange i, the branches g in the said chambers, and the branches j', adapted to commu nicate therewith ,substantially as specitied.

9. The combination, in a speaking apparatus, with the main speaking-tube having air-tight chambers around the same and branch tubes leading therefrom, of a supplement-ary tube connecting the said chambers, and a beilows communicating with the said supplementary tubes, whereby all of the pipes may be iilled with air to signal, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

ELIAS BECKER.

Witnesses:

M. E. Hamaisot', J. A. Hanno-N. 

